Switzerland v England: James Milner matures in media spotlight

Moments after James Milner finished talking on Sunday at the England team
hotel, the old Cole Porter number What A Swell Party This Is struck
up at a wedding reception across the corridor. Have you heard the story
of, A boy, a girl…

Comfortable: James Milner says he is not concerned about the close scrutiny England internationals have to contend withPhoto: ACTION IMAGES

…or so the lyrics go, but there had already been a bit too much of that in the Sunday newspapers, with Wayne Rooney’s private life plastered all over the front pages just hours before Milner addressed the media.

The irony would not have been lost on him. And neither would the fact that here was one 24-year-old international talking about another 24-year-old international and the “spotlight” the latter has taken away from him. After all Milner had broken Rooney’s record as the youngest-ever Premier League goal-scorer (since broken by James Vaughan). “He rose so quickly with the wonderkid status. Maybe it did deflect from me, which was a helping hand,” Milner said.

Milner and Rooney are very different characters, but they are both leading players – one, admittedly, on a different plane of fame than the other - and role models.

“There are a lot of people who watch games. Thousands come every week and there are kids with your name on the back of their shirt,” Milner said. “They obviously look up to you and love what you do. You try to set standards on and off the field.”

Some might argue that Milner was veering into dangerous territory by adding “off the field”. But he was comfortable in his argument.

“Every person, whether they are in football or not, wants to be the best person they can be,” he said. “We’re here ultimately to win football matches. The way the business is now, every part of your lifestyle is on show, whether it is eating the right things or recovering after games. The competition is so fierce that getting things like diet right is under massive scrutiny. It’s all down to rest, recovery and the finer details of the sport science side.”

Does the attention take any enjoyment away? “Not for me,” Milner said. “I’m here to play football and want to be the best player I can. I want to win trophies and win the most out of the game I can in the short space of time I’m lucky enough to be playing the game.

“Off the field you have to enjoy your life, I suppose, but for me I’m just playing my football and doing as well as I can. It would help if your life wasn’t scrutinised but that’s football; you’re in a privileged position, so there are highs and lows.

“It would be ideal to do whatever you wanted, if lads wanted to go out and have a drink and not worry about getting pictured.It’s pointless saying what’s ideal and what we’d like because that is the way it is and we get on with it.”

He added: “When you are playing for England there is always the spotlight there. Everyone wants to be where you are, representing your country. To get that experience and get that opportunity is fantastic and there is always pressure.”

In the present climate — with stories about other England internationals and Ashley Cole’s divorce — have the players discussed whether it is even worth continuing to play for their country?

“Every individual is different,” Milner said. “Some people might turn round and say, ‘I have had enough, I don’t need that, I just want to play football’. That’s the way the game is now and we are very privileged to be representing this country, playing in front of thousands of people week in week out and enjoying what we do for a living.

“Whatever job you do there will be things you like and things you don’t like. That just comes with the territory.”

One of the more ludicrous suggestions yesterday was that perhaps the England players would now be happier if Rooney was not in the team for tomorrow’s fixture away to Switzerland. In response, Milner slowly shook his head in disagreement.

“Whatever game England play, I want the best possible team out there,” he said. “You want your best players on the field. You saw on Friday night [against Bulgaria] what a player he is, and hopefully he can go out and get a hat-trick on Tuesday night.”